Don't understand my first Vodafone bill

baby_frogmella

Hi

Vodafone have for some reason charged me for an extra 4 days on my first bill, which i don't understand. I did email them but they didn't explain the reasons clearly. Would appreciate your help. This is my email to them:

Hi
I signed up to the vodafone sim only plan for 10 pounds per month (100 mins +500 texts) and also included unlimited landline calls (5 pounds pm) and 500mb worth of internet browsing (5 pounds pm) bringing the total to 20 pounds per month. I signed up in my local vodafone store on 10/9/09 and the service actually went live on 14/9/09.I've just checked my first bill online and it seems that i've been charged 22.82 (instead of 20.00) which has probably something to do with "inc prorating"? According to the details below, why am i charged for 4 days extra? Why not from 14 sept to 14 Oct? Does this mean that on on my next bill i will be charged 22.82 again from 18 Oct to 22 Nov? Please advise.

Service charges
SIMO YPL 100m 500t 30D VP *inc prorating*
14 Sep to 18 Oct
£9.93
VMI WEB Browsing pack £5 *inc prorating*
14 Sep to 18 Oct
£4.96
Video Calling *inc prorating*
14 Sep to 18 Oct
£0.00
Unlimited Landline Calls *inc prorating*
14 Sep to 18 Oct
£4.97
Total before VAT £19.85
VAT at Std Rate on £19.85 £2.97
Total for this bill £22.82
Total £22.82
by Direct Debit on or after 7 October 2009
Kind Regards

Email reply from Vodafone
Hi xxx I do realise your concern about being charged for 14th September to 18th October even though your contract completes on 13th October 2009. Let me help.
Shahid, having checked your account, I can see that your one month contract started on 14th September and will complete on 13th October 2009.
I like to clarify that even though your contract completes on 13th October, your account will remain active unless you notify us about cancelling the account. You will be charged for the line rental till your account is active. Thus, you have been charged.
Trust the above informaion clarifies the situation.
Vodafone Customer Services

Jon_01

The networks have billing cycles. You're placed on the first one that has a free slot. not necessary the first one that comes up after you join. So your first bill can be for more than one month depending on which cycle you're on.
It's pretty standard.

Astec

Your basically billed one month in advance, but as above within the cycle. So this bill is one month and 4 days, but the next one will just be one month.

Trialia

I am having exactly this issue now, about which nobody ever warned me, except they've prorated my bill up from £30 to £66!?

Annie._2

http://help.vodafone.co.uk/system/selfservice.controller?CMD=VIEW_ARTICLE&ARTICLE_ID=2481&PARTITION_ID=1&CONFIGURATION=1000&CURRENT_CMD=BROWSE_TOPIC

This link from the Vodafone website will provide the answer to your question.

Trialia

Ann, yes, I saw that, but they did not warn me about pro-rating when I switched my contract. That is what makes me angry with them.

Techhead_2

Anything billed monthly will have a first bill that's pro-rata. Otherwise the period between taking out the service and your first bill would be free. So I don't think anyone should need advising of this.

Trialia

Techhead wrote: »

Anything billed monthly will have a first bill that's pro-rata. Otherwise the period between taking out the service and your first bill would be free. So I don't think anyone should need advising of this.

Then you're not paying attention. I paid the bill for the first month already...

Techhead_2

Trialia wrote: »

Then you're not paying attention. I paid the bill for the first month already...

Charming!
You don't actually say that and as the thread is about first bills it seemed reasonable to assume you were talking about the first bill.